In Las Vegas, defying the odds of reality

A view of Wynn Las Vegas and Encore taken from a Maverick Helicopter on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, above the Las Vegas Strip.

The New York Times

Monday, July 7, 2014 | 11:54 a.m.

My approach to Las Vegas had always been to let everyone else visit it first.

To humanity I said, “No, after you.”

But there it was on the map, unavoidably lodged smack on the route of a planned road trip across the American West. It would take too much effort to avoid. So my traveling companions and I went for it.